Article holding device



J. JANICKE ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE Nov. 11, 1952 Filed March 27, 1948 /nven f0r Joseph Jan/eke Afforney Patented Nov. 11, 1952 ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE Joseph J anicke, Bostwick Lake, Rockford, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Crown Apple Products, 1110., Grand Rapids, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application March 27, 1948, Serial 0. 17,449 I 3 Claims. (01. 294 5.5)

This invention relates to means for holding articles having a sticky or an easily damaged surface. Such articles as baked goods, candycoated confections, and similar items fall into this general category.

The present invention provides means for facilitating the holding of such articles in the hand without danger of soiling the hands or of the clothing while the article is being consumed. Such holding means comprises opposed holding surfaces which may be gripped between the fingers; and means for securing such surfaces to the article with which the holding surfaces are associated. These holding surfaces are disposed adjacent to the article, and are merely isolated enough to assure that the article may be gripped by the holding surfaces without risking contact of the hand with the article. Clearly, if the holding surfaces were at any considerable distance from the article, the distance from one surface to the other would be too great for the hand to span. In the case of a taffy-coated apple, for instance, the holding means may be a pair of peg-shaped devices which may be inserted up to the head at opposite sides of the apple and which provide points for the hand to securely grasp the assembly.

A modification of the present invention comprises a peg-shaped member, the shaft of which is tubular. These devices are inserted in the apple in a fashion similar to the first-mentioned devices, the heads of the same providing the holding area which is to be gripped by the fingers. With this latter type of arrangement, the parallel sides of the tubular inserted portion provide a more secure grip with the interior of the apple,

. since there is no tendency for the device to work loose. The hollow interior of this latter arrangement permits an assembly procedure which allows the holding members to be inserted within the apple with a minimum of time and effort. and further permits the taffy coating to be applied to the apple in a very convenient manner. In connection with this arrangement, a stick is provided which is of such a diameter that it will fit easily within the hollow interior of the holding device mentioned before. The length of this stick is perhaps two or three times the height of the apple which is to be covered with tafiy, and to which the holding means are to be assembled. The stick may first be inserted within the apple,

preferably with a small portion of one end of the stick protruding. The longer end is utilized as a handle for the dipping process whereby the taflfy is applied to the exterior of the apple. Following the coating'operation, one of the holding means above described is placed with the holding surface downward upon a table or suitable support, and the short end of the protruding holding stick inserted in the tubular shaft (or article-engaging portion) of the holding means. Inserted in this manner it is obvious that another and similar holding device may be slipped down over the handle portion of the holding stick in a direction so that the shaft of said holding device may penetrate the apple. "It is clear that with the assembly in this position pressure exerted between the ends of the holding means in a manner similar to the pressure applied thereto when the article is held for eating will result in the holding means being forced into position within the apple. Following such assembly the handle stick may be withdrawn and utilized in a subsequent assembly operation.

This invention will be further described by the detailed analysis of particular embodiments of this invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a section through a taffy-coated apple embodying one modification of the holding means, and which is provided with shields for further protecting the user of the article, and

Figure 2 illustrates the use of a modification of the present invention adapted to cooperate with an assembling stick. Dotted lines indicate a preliminary position of a holding member before insertion in the article.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings the taifycoated apple is generally indicated at [0. The coating of candy H is applied more or less uniformly over the surface of the apple l2. Inserted in opposite ends of the taffy-coated apple in are the holding members 13 and M which are provided with the concave holding surfaces [5 and I6 at which points it is intended that the fingers of the user shall grasp the article while it is being consumed. The holding members I3 and M are provided with the shaft portions l1 and I8 whereby the said members are retained in position within the apple III. The holding members l3 and M are also provided with the head portions 19 and 20 which are of such diameter as to provide adequate space for the user to establish a secure grip. Figure 1 further illustrates the use of the shielding cones 2| and 22 which are placed in position to further protect the user from inadvertently contacting the sticky surface of the apple with some portion of his hand. The shielding cones 2| and 22 are secured in position under the heads of the holding members I3 and [4 as shown. It has also been found practical to utilize such members as the shielding cones 2| and 22 alone without the use of the securing efiect of the holding members 13 and I4, relying upon the adhesive quality of the taffy coating to secure these cones in position.

Referring to Figure 2,.an arrangement is illustrated which greatly facilitates not only the assembly of the holding devices 23 and 24 to the apple 25, but is adapted to provide a handle which facilitates the coating operation. With the stick 26 inserted in the apple approximately to the depth shown, the upper or handle portion 21 can be held by an operator while the iapple25 -is-being dipped in a suitable container "to apply the tafiy coating 28. When the coating has been applied the holding member 24 is placed upon. a firm support 29 in th position indicated, and the protruding end 30 of the stick 26 inserted in the interior diameter at the uppermost portion of -.th e-.tubular'shaft 3|. The opposite-holdingmem- .ber. .23 is :then @slipped over the handle portion 2'! of the stick '26 and pressed into :theapple iromthe position shown in dotted lines. The -stick 26 'may then be withdrawn for re-use.

The particular embodiments of this invention which. have been described herein and-are illustrated in the accompanying drawings are {or illustrative purposes only and arenot to beconsidered .as limitations upon the scopeof the invention.- --Such scope is considered entirely defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. ,Means for :facilitating the holding of an article, comprising: holding members disposed at opposite points on said article and providing opposite and substantially coaxial concave surfaces adapted to be grasped between the thumb and a finger of a users hand, said members having securing means for holding said members in position.

-2..Means for facilitating the holding of an article, comprising: holding members disposed at opposite points on said article and providing opposite and substantially coaxial concave surfaces adapted to be grasped between the thumb and finger .of a users hand, said members having a tubular article-engaging portion.

13. Means for facilitating the holding of an article, comprising: substantially conical protective shields disposed at opposite points on said article pointing inwardly and adapted to be grasped between the thumb and a finger of a users hand, said members having securing means forholding said shields in position.

JOSEPH :JANICKE.

.IREFEBENCES CITED The following references aregofrecord'in the file of this patent:

UNiITE-D STAT-ES PATENHS Number Name Date 513,146 ,Richberg Jan. 23,. 1894 555,627 Treibus .Mar. '3, 1,896 568,237 Carley iSept. 22,,1'896 B86510 H-uguet "May '15,, I908 2,139,690 'McConnell-et al .Dec. 113, 19.38 

